Slain Mosul Archbishop Urged Iraqi Unity

Final Testament Published

April 18, 2008
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BAGHDAD, Iraq, APRIL 18, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The final testament from the slain archbishop of Mosul does not bequeath any material goods to anyone, but it has a spiritual message encouraging ties of brotherhood among all Iraqis.

Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho was kidnapped Feb. 29 outside of a church where he had led the Way of the Cross; it was a Friday of Lent. During the kidnapping, his three companions were killed.

For days there was no news from the archbishop or his kidnappers. Finally, after a phone call from the assailants, the archbishop's body was found March 13 in a shallow grave. He was 65.

His will was published by the Arabic-language Web site Ankawa.com and dated Aug. 15, 2003. According to AsiaNews, the will particularly mentioned the disabled people cared for by the Charity and Joy Brotherhood that the archbishop founded in 1989.

"From you I learned about love; you taught me to love," he wrote about them.

To his relatives, Archbishop Rahho said, "I own nothing and whatever I have is not mine. Even I belong to the Church and on the Church you have no claim."

The will concluded: "I call upon all of you to be open to our Muslim and Yazidi brothers and to all the children of our beloved homeland, to work together to build solid ties of love and brotherhood among the children of our beloved country, Iraq."